Why you NEED a website!
It might seem strange for a web designer to blog on this topic. After all, I make websites and I want people to pay me for making websites. I’m not going to dissuade anyone from creating a web presence. But I continually get asked by new clients “Do you think I really need a website?” and my answer predictably is YES.
There are several very good reasons for getting a business or organisation online. Some of them are quite obvious. For example, a motel must have a website. If they don’t, they will miss most of their potential clientele. Tourism operators must have a site for the same reason. Anyone planning a trip or holidays rarely leaves home without planning ahead and the most informed travel agent around is living in your computer.
Another compulsion to get online for some businesses is simply based on what the competition is doing. If you’re not online, you can count that your competition will be. You’d be surprised at the variety of businesses that are online – from lawn services through to your local delicatessen.
What about not-for-profit organisations? They definitely need a site. What better way to repay your sponsors then getting an article in the local newspaper with a web address at the bottom. People go to visit the site and there’s the sponsors logos across the screen, linked to their websites. You can run membership drives for your organisation utilising online forms and surveys. Most importantly of all, you can tell everyone about the work you do and how they should get involved.
In a economic climate where advertising may not seem an option for some businesses and organisation, a web site is a cheap and effective alternative but only if it is utilised properly. After all, if no-one can find your site or it doesn’t convey an effective message – what’s the point?
